With the Schedule released today, I figured it would be a good time to start the thread.

The NBA released its 2013-2014 schedule on Tuesday in a televised special on NBATV alongside a release on NBA.com and its team websites.

The season kicks off Tuesday, October 29th as Miami hosts the Chicago Bulls in Derrick Rose's expected return to the court. Then it's the Battle of LA as the Lakers host the Clippers. It could be the return of Kobe Bryant from his Achilles injury he suffered last spring, and will be the regular season debut of Doc Rivers as the Clippers' newest head coach.

It's a massive gamble by the NBA, considering Rose's struggles returning from his ACL injury suffered in the 2012 playoffs and Bryant's more recent Achilles surgery. If those players were to miss the opening night, it's going to make for a very underwhelming opening night of basketball, regardless of the markets involved for ratings.

Opening week continues on Thursday with the Bulls hosting the Knicks in what is likely to be Rose's return to the United Center in the regular season. The Knicks will be on a back to back, opening the season on Wednesday vs. the Bucks. Thursday night the revamped Warriors visit the Clippers, who are clearly the hot team, with two national appearances in the first three days.

Opening week concludes Friday with the Nets' home opener vs. the Heat, followed by another Lakers home game, this time vs. the defending Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs.

On the NBA's biggest regular season day, Christmas Day, starts with the Nets hosting Chicago, followed by the scoring-champ rematch of Carmelo Anthony vs. Kevin Durant as the Thunder visit Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks. Then in the main event, the Heat play the Lakers at Staples Center. Dwight Howard joins the Christmas fun as the Rockets travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs. And in the night cap, the Clippers visit Oracle Arena to take on Steph Curry and the Warriors.

Monday, January 20th continues the NBA's tradition of making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a huge basketball event, with four games on the schedule. Brooklyn travels across the bridge to take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, followed by the Grizzlies hosting the Pelicans, the Lakers taking on the Bulls at the United Center, and the Pacers facing the Warriors in the bay to cap off the night.

The Lakers first meet Dwight Howard on November 13th in Houston, and again on January 14th. They first host Howard at Staples Center on February 19th, and again on April 8th.

The NBA Finals rematches occur on January 26th in Miami and March 6th in San Antonio. Will Gregg Popovich rest his starters? It's not a back to back, as the Spurs face Atlanta on the 24th, but it is in the middle of a three-game road trip.

Despite the departure of Dwight Howard, the Lakers keep the max number of nationally televised (non-NBA TV) games in the league at 25, tied with the Knicks and Heat. The Clippers have 21 nationally televised games, while the defending Western Champs, the Spurs, only have 15. The Bulls jump to 24 national games, with the league banking on Rose's return to carry audiences. The Thunder also feature on national TV 24 times.

Houston, with newly-signed Dwight Howard and James Harden, feature 20 games on national television, a pretty low number given the star power. The Mavericks won the NBA title in 2011, and now have just eight national TV appearances. The Warriors meanwhile jump to 17 games, while Eastern Conference finalist Indiana only appears 10 time next season. To put that in perspective, the Denver Nuggets appear 13 times.

Not particularly, but I have no issue with soccer. It's fun to watch those athletes at the highest level (like it is with many sports). The fact that you can't appreciate what teams like the Spurs do in basketball, though, says quite a bit about you as a basketball fan.

Eat a cock. What a dipshit attitude you possess.

"If you don't like watching Matt Bonner on an easy catch-and-shoot 3 due to superior coaching, you're a bad basketball fan."

This Thunder team is special. They are playing by far their best team basketball. Reggie is playing like the 6th man of the year, and Adams/Lamb are way ahead of schedule. Lamb is picking up the 2 man game with Collison and KD and Russ are both so much more well rounded. Scotty is doing a great job with this team. Yes, I just said that. Stay healthy and continue to improve. If they can do that they have a great shot of dethroning the Heat.

This Thunder team is special. They are playing by far their best team basketball. Reggie is playing like the 6th man of the year, and Adams/Lamb are way ahead of schedule. Lamb is picking up the 2 man game with Collison and KD and Russ are both so much more well rounded. Scotty is doing a great job with this team. Yes, I just said that. Stay healthy and continue to improve. If they can do that they have a great shot of dethroning the Heat.

This Thunder team is special. They are playing by far their best team basketball. Reggie is playing like the 6th man of the year, and Adams/Lamb are way ahead of schedule. Lamb is picking up the 2 man game with Collison and KD and Russ are both so much more well rounded. Scotty is doing a great job with this team. Yes, I just said that. Stay healthy and continue to improve. If they can do that they have a great shot of dethroning the Heat.

Short of acquiring Kevin Love and moving Thabo for a 2-guard, I'm pretty happy.

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Short of acquiring Kevin Love and moving Thabo for a 2-guard, I'm pretty happy.

They are playing so well right now, I dont even want to **** with it. There is no doubt this is Thabo's last year. I like the Roberson/Lamb combo a lot. I'm happy now they didn't sign Mike Miller because Lamb is making bigtime plays on both sides. It would have just stunted his progress. Roberson is a really good defender and is putting up big offensive numbers in Tulsa ala Lamb last year. He's Rex Kalamian's new project. The guy Harden, Reggie and Lamb attribute much of their success too.

Thabo makes so little he's still a good guy to have around, but if they trade him oh well.

Because I'm capable of appreciating quality, entertaining basketball when I see it? Because my view of basketball isn't colored by how many "stars" are playing in a given game? Piss off, you ignorant piece of shit. You're the one who started this.

Quote:

"If you don't like watching Matt Bonner on an easy catch-and-shoot 3 due to superior coaching, you're a bad basketball fan."

Who the **** thinks that way?

Yeah, because that's even remotely close to the point I was making about the enjoyment of watching the San Antonio Spurs. Might be time to grow up there already.

Yeah, because that's even remotely close to the point I was making about the enjoyment of watching the San Antonio Spurs. Might be time to grow up there already.

Actually, it was.

You told me I was being either jealous or ignorant if I didn't like watching the Spurs backups win games occasionally. So yeah, my impression of you IS accurate, wouldn't you say?

Go suck Tiago Splitter's cock, moron. The world isn't a black-and-white place, and neither is the world of sports. People who think in those dimensions are the biggest douchebags on the face of the planet.

You told me I was being either jealous or ignorant if I didn't like watching the Spurs backups win games occasionally. So yeah, my impression of you IS accurate, wouldn't you say?

Go suck Tiago Splitter's cock, moron. The world isn't a black-and-white place, and neither is the world of sports. People who think in those dimensions are the biggest douchebags on the face of the planet.

No, that would just be another bullshit strawman you constructed instead of actually addressing the points I made about the aesthetic quality of the Spurs brand of basketball. That comparison to KU backups is still laughable.

Quote:

You told me I was being either jealous or ignorant if I didn't like watching the Spurs backups win games occasionally. So yeah, my impression of you IS accurate, wouldn't you say?

In my experience, anybody who can't appreciate what Pop does with that team generally is either jealous of their success (many fans of other Western Conference teams are) or ignorant about what they do (like I used to be when I was kid who didn't know any better). In your case, it seems to be both.

Quote:

Go suck Tiago Splitter's cock, moron. The world isn't a black-and-white place, and neither is the world of sports. People who think in those dimensions are the biggest douchebags on the face of the planet.

Ironic statement coming from the guy who repeatedly suggested he needs NBA stars to be entertained by the great game of basketball.

No, that would just be another bullshit strawman you constructed instead of actually addressing the points I made about the aesthetic quality of the Spurs brand of basketball. That comparison to KU backups is still laughable.

In my experience, anybody who can't appreciate what Pop does with that team generally is either jealous of their success (many fans of other Western Conference teams are) or ignorant about what they do (like I used to be when I was kid who didn't know any better). In your case, it seems to be both.

Ironic statement coming from the guy who repeatedly suggested he needs NBA stars to be entertained by the great game of basketball.

This is really simple to understand. I'm shocked you're not getting this.

Appreciation isn't in the picture. You put it there. I can appreciate the hard work and intricacy of soccer without wanting to watch it. I can appreciate different types of art (since you're on the aesthetic kick and all) while vastly preferring other types.

There is no ****ing aesthetic quality. That's being a judgmental asshole and holding up a standard that YOU made up. Spurs-brand basketball is the be-all end-all of basketball, and the closer a team plays to the Spurs means the more "aesthetic" and beautiful and better product they are as an entertainment commodity.

Not only did you impose that arbitrary standard, but you're saying people who don't appreciate are either jealous or stupid.

I pointed out it's not jealousy, because I found the Lakers and Celtics a few years ago, the Thunder, and the Heat to be palatable and good teams to watch. So you're calling it an issue of basketball intelligence.

Which is why I'm telling you to go **** your sister. It's nonsensical and asinine.